Lemoore police officers, assisted by investigators from the Alcoholic and Beverage Control, conducted the operation in Lemoore and arrested two suspects for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors.

The suspects, 42 year old Joaquin Zendejas of Riverdale and 31 year old Robert Breen of Lemoore, were issued citations and released.

The program, called a Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation, targets adults who purchase alcohol for people who are under 21 years of age. Under the program, a minor, under the direct supervision of a police officer, will stand outside a liquor or convenience store and ask patrons to buy them alcohol. The minor indicates in some way that he or she is under age and cannot purchase the alcohol. If the adults agree to purchase alcohol for the minor, officers then arrest and cite the adult for furnishing alcohol to the minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1000 fine and 24 hours of community service. 

The program is intended to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. Statistics show they generally have a higher rate of drunken driving crashes than adults. Studies also show that the combination of alcohol and youth tends to increase criminal conduct. According to the American Medical Association, underage drinking can increase chances of risky sexual behavior and teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, compromise health, and result in unintentional injury and death.

This project is part of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Minor Decoy / Shoulder Tap Grant Project, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.